Automatic stop valve



AUTOMATIC STOP VALVE Filed Oct. 2, 1925 Flanders INVENTOR BY ATTORNEY Patented May 3, 1927.

UNITED STATES ATENT* iszasei WARREN B. FLANDERS, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASS IGNO R 'IiD WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC. AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORIEOEATTON 7 0E PENN- SYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC STOP VALVE.

Application filed October 2, 1925. Serial No. (1,132..

My invention relates to operating mechanisms for the emergency valve of a prime mover having an auto. stop governor and has for its object the provision of apparatus of the character designated'which shall effect a positive quick closing of the valve and an automatic reopening thereof upon resetting of the auto stop governor.

Apparatus embodying features of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification wherein Fig. 1 is a view showing an elastic fluid turbine having my improved apparatus applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II II of Fig. 1; and

3. is a diagrammatic view illustrating opera-ting featuresv of the apparatus.

Prime movers,v especially elastic flu d turbine-s, are usually equipped with an 611181;

gency valve and an autostop governor for closing the emergency valve upon over-speeding of the turbine or other abnormal conditions. of operation. The emergency valve employed with such apparatus is usually held open during normal operation of the prime mover by some form of releasable means and is biased toward a closing position... then the auto; stop governor operates to release the holdingmeansqforthe emer- Referring now ter understanding of my invention, I show in F 1 at 10 an elastic fiuidturbine having a motive fluid supply conduit 11, said motive fluid supply conduit having disposed therein an emergency valve 12. The emergency valve 12 ispreferably ofthe butterfly type and is normally held in an open position.

At 13 I show a well known form of auto stop governor adapted to operate upon abnormal eonditions of operationof the turto drawings for a betbine, for example, upon overspeed thereof. The; auto stop governor, Fig. 2. embodies a tripping weight 14 located in a diametral recess of the turbine shaft. When the auto stop governor operates the tripping member. 14 moves outwardly and strikes a lever 16 which is, in turn, connected to a link 17'and which releases the means hOldi-iig the emergency valve 12 open. I

The releasable. means for holding the emergency valve 12 open comprise a cylindrical guide member 18 which I show mounted rigidly onthe motive fluid supply conduit 11 and having disposed therein a floating cylinder 19 (Fig; 3). The guide member 18 and cylinder 19 are preferably located above the emergency valve 12 so, that the effect of gravity may cause a quicke-r'closing thereof. l-Iowevenit will be apparent that thedevice will operate when placed in other positions than vertically above the emergency valve.

The cylinder 19 is normally held in. a

fixed position withtheemergency valve-open a latch 21, connected to alever 22 which is; in turn, connected to a bell crank lever 23, operatively connected to'the link 17. When the tripping weight 14 moves. outwardly, striking thelevei- '16, the latch 21 is disengaged and the cylinder 19 is free'to move downwardly in the guide member 18. Disposed within the cylinder 19 is a diiferential piston 24 having arelatively large stem 26 extending upwardly out of the cylinder 19' through a sleeve 27 with which it makes an approximately fluid-tight fit. The stem 26 serves to reduce the area of the upper side of the piston 2e below the area of the under side thereof. The piston 24: is provided with an orifice 28 which permits a restricted flow of fluid fromone side thereofto the other.

Fluid under pressure developed by a pump 29 is admitted to the upper end of the cylinder19. by a conduit 31 and flexible tubing 32. Fluid passing; into the upper end of the cylinder 19 flows through the" restricted orifice 28 into the lower end of the cylinder 19 and, with the lower end of the cylinder closed, acting against the greater area of the lower side of the piston 24:, forces it upwardso I ly.v An exhaust connection 38 located at the lower end of the cylinder 19 leads to an exhaust, pipe 34 through flexible tubing 36.

Within the exhaust pipe 84 is a valve 37 controlling the flow of fluid from the lower end of the cylinder 19 through said exhaust pipe. The valve 37 is operated by a handle 88 which is connected to the link 17 of the auto stop governor 13. r

'ing the emergency valve 12. The handle 89 of the emergency valve 12 is connected to the piston 24 through a link 43 and a stem 44. It will be seen that, with the cylinder 19 in the position shown in Fig. 3, and the valve 37 closed, fluid pressure acting against the greater area of the piston 24 holds it in its iii uppermost position with the emergency valve open. lVhen the latch 21 is released, the spring 41, assisted by the weight of the cylinder 19 quickly moves the handle 39 of the valve 12 downwardly effecting a closing of the valve. By the same movement whichre leases thelatch 21 thevalve 37 is opened, permitting the fluid under pressure to pass from beneath the piston 24. This passage of fluid, however, need be only at a moderate flow and thus the Weight of the fluid, usually lubricating oil, assists in closing the emer gency valve 12. In the upper end of the guide member 18, above the cylinder 19, I provide a stop member 46. The stop member 46 acts as an abutment for the cylinder 19 in event of the emergencyvalve 12 sticking 7 open, when the latch 21 is released and the valve 37 is opened. In such an event fluid pressure acting against the upper face of tive closing of the emergency valve under.

the piston 24 and reacting against the cylinder 19 forces thepiston downwardly, as-

sisting the spring 41 in closing the valve 1.2. The feature of my invention insures a poslpractically all conditions.

From the foregoing description the opera tion of the apparatus will be apparent. When the turbine 10 overspeeds, the tripping member 14 moves outwardly, strikes the trip lever 16. pulling the link 1''? downwardly, releases the latch 21 and opens the valve 37. Upon release of the latch 21, the spring 41, assisted by the freely movingcylinder 19 with the fluid contained therein, quickly moves the emergency valve 12 to a closed position. .hluid pressure now being relieved from beneath the piston 24, the cylinder 19 is moved upwardly by the fluid pressure acting against its upper end and reactingagainst the piston 24 to the position it occupied before the latch 21 was released. As soon as the 'trip lever 16 is moved. back to its original or set positiomthe link 17 is moved upwardly, moving the latch 21 to its position for retaining the cylinder 19, and closing the valve 37. Upon closing the valve 37 fluid pressure builds up beneath the piston 24 and acting against its side of greater area forces the piston upwardly, opening the emergency valve 12. It will thus be seen that upon operation of my improved apparatus, the only resetting required is that of auto stop governor lever 16. s

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have invented an improved -mechanism for operating the emergency valve of a prime mover having anauto stop governor, said apparatus being effective to automate. ically reopen the emergency valve upon resetting of the auto stop governor.

While I. have sl'iown my invention in but one form. it will be obvious to those skilled in the art thatit is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifica tions, Without departing from the spirit thereof, and desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed. by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

l Vhat I claim is: V I

1. The combination with a prime mover having an emergency valve, of a cylinder,

piston. in said cylinder operatively connected with the valve, means for applying fluid pressure to said piston to reta1n the valve in open position during normal operation of the prime mover, and means utilizing the weight of the piston and cylinder for closing the valve upon abnormal operation of the prime mover.

2. The combination with a prime mover having an auto'stop governor effective upon abnormal operation of the prime mover, of "anemergency valve, biasing means for clos ingthe emergency valve, a floating cylinder, releasable means for holding the cylinder in .a fixed position with the emergency valve open, a piston within the cylinder for opening the emergency valve when the cylinder is in its fixed position, valve controlled fluid pressure means for operating the piston and for moving the cylinder to its normal position when the admission valve is closed, and an operative connection between the auto stopgovernor, the releasable means and the valve controlled fluid pressure means.

3. The combination with a prime mover having an auto stop governor effective upon abnormal operation of the prime mover, of an emergency valve, biasing means for closing the emergency valve, a guide member, a

cylindcr slidingly mounting in the guide member, a latch for normally holding the cylinder ina fixed position in the guide member with the admission valvevopen, a piston within the cylinder for opening the emergency valvewhen the cylinder is in its fixed position, valve controlled'fluid pressure means for operating the piston and for moving the cylinder to its normal. position when the emergency valve is closed, and an operative connection between the auto stop governor, the latch and the valve controlled fluid pressure means.

4. The combination with a prime mover having an auto stop governor effective upon abnormal operation of the prime mover, of an emergency valve having operating means effective for closing said valve when moving in a downward direction, biasing means connected to the operating means for closing the emergency valve, a floating cylinder mounted above the emergency valve, releasable means for normally holding thecylinder in a fixed position with the emergency valve open, a piston within the cylinder connected to the operating means for opening; the emergency valve when the cylinder is in its fixed position, valve controlled fluid pressure means for operating the piston and for moving the cylinder to its normal position when the emergency valve is closed, and an operative connection between'the auto stop governor, the releasable means and the valve controlled fluid pressure means.

5. The combination with a prime mover having an auto stop governor operable upon a predetermined speed of the prime mover, of an emergency valve, biasing means for closing the emergency valve and exerting; a

force in a downward direction, a guide member, a cylinder slidinglyniounted in the guide member above the emergency valve, a latch for normally holding the cylinder in a fixed position with the emergency valve open,

tion in the opposite end of the cylinder, a

normally closed valve in the exhaust connection, and an operative connection between the auto stop governor, the valve in the exhaust connection and the latch for openingthe valve and releasing the latch upon operation 6. An operating mechanism for an emergency valve of a prime mover comprisinga floating cylinder, a difl'erential piston perm ttmga restricted flow of fluid thereby within the floatingcylinder and operatively connected to the emergency valve, means for admitting fluid under pressure to the side of the piston having the lesser area, valve controlled means for exhausting fluid from the opposite side, releasable means for normally holding the cylinder in a fixed position, and means responsive to a predetermined speed of the prime mover for releasing the releas' able means and operating the valve controlled means.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 28th day of September, 1925. i i

\ WARREN B. FLANDERS,

of the auto stop governor. Y 

